One Path
by AerinStrifeVII
Summary: Cloud is injured on one of his deliveries, but Tifa will always be there to clean him up, right? Spoilers for the Nibelheim event in Crisis Core. CloudXTifa pairing, but Sephiroth and Zack makes appearances, too! Rated for mild language.


**One Path**

_**A little after the events in Dirge of Cerberus. There are no spoilers for what happens in DoC, there are minor spoilers in Crisis Core (namely the Nibelheim events).**_

"Cloud!" Tifa immediately set down the dish in her hands and ran over to the blonde. "What happened?!"

The swordsman was covered in dirt, he was walking with a bad limp. Tifa saw that his normally brilliant shoulder pauldron was scratched and cracked, bent into an almost unrecognizable shape.

Cloud grimaced as Tifa began fretting over him. "A Grand Horn…" He replied shortly.

"A delivery near Gongaga, huh?" Tifa sat him down on one of the bar stools. "What hurts?"

Cloud gritted his teeth. "Shoulder."

"Looks like it's dislocated," Tifa murmured, half to herself. She prodded the pauldron gently and Cloud hissed in protest. "I have to cut this off. Is that okay?"

Cloud's eyes were shut tight and he nodded, obviously beyond caring. Tifa cut the belt holding the shoulder guard in place and pulled it away from Cloud's arm, wincing in sympathy.

"I have to get it back in place before I can use FullCure to heal it…" Tifa told him.

"Sounds painful."

"It will be."

Cloud took a deep breath and Tifa held out her hand for the blonde to brace himself with. He took it immediately.

"Ready?" Tifa asked, her other hand tensed on his injured shoulder.

"I gue-"

Tifa cut off his reply, yanking Cloud's shoulder forward and back into place. Cloud cursed loudly, his hand almost crushing hers. Tifa didn't waste a moment; as soon as she heard the sickeningly loud click, she picked up the FullCure materia and held it up to his shoulder.

"Dammit, Tifa…" Cloud's breath came in short rasps and he released Tifa's hand, rubbing at his shoulder.

"Don't," Tifa smacked his hand away lightly. "I'm going to bandage it so it'll stay in place." She turned and searched through her supplies for the bandages.

"You could've warned me." Cloud muttered sullenly.

"I asked you if you were ready," Came the bemused reply. "Now, take off your shirt."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the brunette—making her face flush—but didn't question her, instead making a feeble attempt at unzipping his black sweater with one hand. Tifa rolled her eyes and gave him the bandages to hold while she gingerly stripped off the tattered material.

She worked slowly, being careful not to re-injure the blonde, whom had closed his eyes again. While she wrapped the thick white gauze around his chest, she noticed that Cloud's torso was littered with scars. Most were small and were almost invisible on the swordsman's pale skin, but one stood out among the rest.

It was on the right side of his chest; a dark line running from the top of his ribcage and cutting downwards about four inches. The scar was mirrored on his back, where Tifa knew the blade had exited. Cloud had gotten it almost nine years ago, but the emotional scar that the incident had left would last for the rest of both Tifa and Cloud's lives.

Tifa ran her fingers along the line and Cloud stiffened, his bright blue eyes flashing in the growing darkness. He watched her silently as she continued tracing the outline of his scar. Tifa locked her gaze with his. "What are you thinking right now?" She asked.

Cloud looked away, rubbing the back of his neck with his uninjured hand. "I don't know."

In any other situation, Tifa would've laughed, but she knew Cloud was probably being serious, so she didn't. "How can you not know what you're thinking?"

Cloud shook his head. "No, that's not it. I was just… trying to remember."

Tifa nodded absently. That day… It was burned into her memories. The death of her father, the burning of her home and town, and one other memory…

_She had been so easily beaten by Sephiroth. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance against the SOLDIER 1__st__ Class, but she had to try…_

_ He killed her father._

_ She followed him to the reactor, ready to exact her revenge or die trying. It had only taken one swipe of his sword to knock her out._

"_Tifa…" A familiar voice pulled her from the black tides of grief and pain._

_ '_Cloud_'? She opened her eyes and saw the blonde, clothed in an infantryman's uniform. She was too weak to move, to speak, and she could only watch as he stumbled and collapsed on the stairwell beside Zack. Sephiroth was nowhere in sight._

_ That would be the last time she would see him for the next four years…_

_ "_Y'know, the week before it happened, I had a talk with Zack." Cloud's soft voice brought her back to reality.

"About what?"

"About you." He said simply.

Tifa's hands slipped as she continued wrapping the gauze around Cloud's chest and arm. "Me?"

The blonde nodded.

_ "By the way," Zack eyed him bemusedly. "Do you know Tifa?"_

_ Cloud hugged his knees, staring down at his hands. "Sort-of."_

_ "Talk to her yet?" Zack prodded._

_ The blonde shook his head. "No…"_

_ There was a pause before Zack continued, his voice playful. "I'm sensing some issues here… Shouldn't you do something?"_

Cloud's eyes were distant, his voice lighter, almost as if he really was sitting next to his mentor and best friend again, exchanging banters. "Later on, he managed to wheedle that story out of me."

"Which story?" Tifa secured the bandages in place.

Cloud paused a moment before replying. "About the promise I made to you…"

"O-oh," Tifa ducked her head, trying to disguise the blush on her face.

Cloud's voice grew softer, making the brunette look back up at him. "Zack had it all figured out…"

His eyes were sorrowful. Tifa felt her heart twist at the sight of his downcast expression and she leaned forward, gently stroking his face with the back of her hand.

The swordsman took a shaky breath, his voice saturated with despair. "It was supposed to be that night." He sounded almost bitter. "But we never got the chance… I never got to tell you."

Tifa's reply was almost a whisper. "Tell me what?"

Cloud searched her gaze before answering. "That I loved you."

Tifa had always cursed the day when Sephiroth burned down Nibelheim. She had no idea that Cloud and Zack had made plans for Cloud to confess his feelings, to make that day one she would never forget. Huh, strange how that turned out for them.

Cloud continued in a low voice. "It's been over eight years…"

Tifa nodded, unable to speak.

Cloud gently touched her face. "…But my feelings still haven't changed."

Tifa let out a quiet sob. All the emotions running through her—the grief, the love, the sorrow… combated with the overwhelming happiness that Cloud, in fact, loved her—were too much for her to bear.

"Tifa…"

She sniffed, blinking her tears away and looking directly into his eyes. She had to be happy. For him, for them. "I love you too, Cloud."

Cloud's expression softened, and he gave her a small smile.

Tifa gently touched his face again, hesitating before leaning forward and giving Cloud a tender kiss. After a moment, she pulled away, smiling back at him.

Everything that they had gone through, all the terrible experiences, the memories—both good and bad—had brought them together, time and time again. Even after years of separation, Fate seemed to place these two unfortunate souls on the same path.

And it was on this path that they would stay.


End file.
